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DePuy Orthopaedics ASR Hip Implant Failure Statistics Prompts Recall
One of the most common ailments, especially for older adults, is arthritis, and one of the most commonly replaced joints is the hip. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, about 750,000 patients with advanced painful arthritis have a total hip replacement annually in the U.S. These patients trust that the surgery will improve their quality of life and restore mobility. Unfortunately, this is not the case with DePuy ASR hip implants.
DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, introduced the ASR XL Acetabular hip implant system in the U.S. in 2005. It sported an innovative metal-on-metal design, as opposed to the traditional metal ball inserted into a plastic cup of its predecessors. The ASR was constructed, not by developing a whole new product, but by retrofitting a metal alloy cup from the ASR Hip Resurfacing System onto a standard hip implant. DePuy did not conduct clinical trials for the ASR.
In 2010, after the DePuy artificial hip system had already been implanted in about 100,000 Americans, the National Joint Registry (NJR) of England and Wales released data showing a high rate of replacement, or revision, for the ASR. The data revealed a five-year revision rate of an estimated 13 percent for the ASR XL Acetabular System and 12 percent for the ASR Hip Resurfacing System, although the later was not used in the U.S. Additional reports concluded that 21 percent of DePuy ASR hip systems had to be replaced by four years. This jumps to 49 percent by six years. With this information, DePuy recalled the ASR XL artificial hip implants on August 24, 2010.
Hip replacement surgery is not a simple process; it is an invasive operation which requires months of recovery and rehabilitation. If the hip implant fails, the patient’s subjected to a hip revision surgery. Even if the hip implant does not completely fail, it could cause serious complications such as heavy metal poisoning and tumors around the implant. In any case, it is likely that the patient would experience increased pain and discomfort.
At the Law Offices of Renee J. Nordstrand, our dedicated Santa Barbara DePuy hip implant failure lawyers are dedicated to obtaining maximum compensation for each patient harmed by DePuy’s negligent hip implant testing and manufacturing. If you have suffered as the result of the DePuy implant in California, contact us today free consultation. Call (805) 962-2022.